Page 29 of That's the Way Rejection Goes

“We’re not upset about last night,” I added, making sure he knew we didn’t feel that way. “We pushed things too quickly and you weren’t ready for it. I’m sorry I touched you without asking.”

“Me too,” Erick said. “We should’ve talked about things before we got lost in the moment.”

Sam held up his hands, shaking his head. “Honestly, I should be the one apologizing to you two. I led you to believe I wanted more, and I was participating. It wasn’t fair of me to just run off without explanation.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “We are all trying to blame ourselves so damn hard right now.” I glanced at the pair of them. “How about we just chalk this up to a mutual misunderstanding and call it good?”

“Yeah, I think that sounds good,” Sam replied.

“I’m okay with that if you two are.”

“Perfect.” I held out a hand to Sam, gesturing for him to come inside. “Grab a chair if you want to hang out for a while.”

“I did want to talk to you guys if that’s okay.”

“Hell yeah.”

Sam pulled off his coat and hung it over the back of a chair. Turning it around, he straddled it to face us, crossing his arms over the back. I went over to the bed and plopped down next to Erick. We gave each other a confused glance, not sure what we were expecting Sam to say to us. I hoped it was good news, but I had a feeling it might not be. Rare was the day that someone sought me out to talk and it was a happy occasion.

“So, what’s up?” I asked, unable to wait any longer.

“Well…” Sam looked pretty nervous for a guy who ran an entire hotel full of werewolves by himself. I thought nothing would throw him off, but whatever he was about to say was making him anxious. “I wanted to explain what happened last night.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“No explanation needed.”

Erick and I spoke over one another at the same time, but the message got through. Sam held up his hand to hold us back.

“No. Iwantto. Because, the truth is, I like you two.” My heart nearly leaped out of my chest at those words. “But there are some things about me you need to know first. They’re things I’ve tried to hide away, but I feel like if I don’t share them, they’ll just keep holding me back from enjoying myself.”

If I’d had a tail at the moment, it would’ve been wagging like crazy. And I could feel the same sort of energy rolling off Erick next to me. Both of us were so excited that we could barely contain ourselves. However, we had to. Whatever Sam was about to tell us was important and I wanted all my attention on him, not distracted by my dick or my fluttering heart.

“When I first got kicked out of my pack, there wasn't any place to go. I didn't have a hotel or a town like Shifter Grove to take me in.” Sam's gaze fell to the side, the hurt clear on his face. “I wandered for a few months, hitchhiking my way around the country. It was a way to get around and run from my feelings. But… well, it came at a price.”

Erick and I glanced at one another, wondering what Sam meant. I felt my muscles tense, waiting for the blow he was about to strike us with.

“Since I had no money, I usually had to pay for my ride with my body.” Sam shook his head, glancing up at us. “Sex work is fine, I'm totally cool with it if that's what someone wants to do. But as a twenty-three-year-old kid with no other choice and no way to eat, it was the only thing I had that was of any value. And it quickly devolved into turning tricks at truck stops and corner stores to get a ride to the next town. Eventually I found myself in the city selling drugs too. It… it got really out of control. I didn't realize until long after that I'd been going through a self-destructive spiral at the time.”

“Is that why you have that rule for tenants?” I asked, keeping my voice soft.

“Yeah. Because I know how easy it is to get lost in something you don't like doing. It helps dull the pain even if it's just creating more.” He took a good long look at both of us. “When we first met, I thought you wanted to use me like those men used to. And well, it scared me. It wasn't until yesterday that I realized that wasn't what you were doing. But those memories wouldn't leave my head. It was like I was stuck in those days again, lost without a friend in the world.”

“How did you get out of it?” Erick asked, leaning forward on the bed. “What made you give up the tricks and the drugs?”

“Believe it or not, I met this old trucker who gave me a ride. It turned out he was some sort of Fae creature, and he knew how much trouble I was in. He brought me to Shifter Grove, set me up with a place to stay for a while, and told me to stop wasting my life.” Sam smiled, chuckling under his breath. “He was kinda mean about it to be honest. But it was the kick in the pants I needed. If I’m not mistaken, I think he’s the same guy that brought in Ace’s mate, Matt, here as well.”

“And you just started the hotel after that?”

“Well, it took me a while to raise the money to buy this place. And it was a real dump to begin with. Even after I bought it I think I spent the better part of two years trying to get the roof to stop leaking. Then there was all the refurbishing and trying to find ways to bring money in when I was giving rooms away for free. But that old trucker and others like him came my way, offering their aid when they could. Eventually the place got bigger, better, and the town grew up around it. Shifter Grove is what it is today because of this hotel and because of that old Fae trucker.”

“So, all of that,” Erick said, leaning forward on the bed. “Your past and what you had to do… that’s why last night bothered you?”

There was a hopeful tone in his voice. Up until that moment, both of us had been blaming ourselves. We weren’t sure what we did wrong, but we were certain it was our fault. However, now that Sam had explained himself, we might’ve been off the hook.

“That,” Sam nodded. “And one other thing.”

I waited, Erick silent at my side anticipating Sam’s next words.

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